Evidence Action
Website:
evidenceaction.org
Job details:
About Evidence Action
At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.
Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we're making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 11 countries, our team of 900+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.
- Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains.
- Through Safe Water Now, we've saved the lives of over 15,000 children
- Our programs avert upwards of 200, 000 DALYs every year by working closely with national and sub national governments in LMIC contexts on highly cost effective interventions
- Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives.
At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, mission orientation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.
The Role
Evidence Action was built on the belief that data should drive every decision, from how programs are designed and delivered, to how resources are allocated and scaled. We have built a strong monitoring, learning, and evaluation (MLE) function across our global program portfolio, generating the evidence that underpins both program delivery and organizational decision-making. For us, monitoring is more than an audit function; it is the foundation upon which we learn, adapt, and grow. The recent Dispensers for Safe Water (DSW) monitoring issues revealed the need to strengthen this foundation across our complex global portfolio, particularly when navigating the trade-offs between rigor, cost, and speed.
As we continue to iterate and our ambitions grow to scale proven programs, we are investing in senior MLE leadership to match that scale. We have identified strategic priorities that require dedicated, experienced leadership to drive them forward: including an MLE function review, AI opportunity spotting, and strengthened board engagement on evidence and learning.
As the (Senior) Director, Global Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, you will lead the continued evolution of our MLE approach, ensuring our systems, structures, and external presence reflect the scale of what we are building. We are seeking a senior leader to own the strategic growth and transformation dimensions of our MLE function at a critical organizational moment. In this role, you will sit at the intersection of technical rigor, organizational leadership, and external credibility. You will hold overall accountability for Evidence Action's MLE rigor and implementation efficiency across the portfolio. You bring deep expertise in
program evaluation and evidence systems,
strategic instincts to frame and solve complex organizational problems, a
growth oriented mindset to embrace ambiguity and transformation, and the
interpersonal sophistication to lead through change in a matrixed global organization.
This position reports to one of our Executive Vice President, Programs and works closely with our Global Leadership Team (GLT) and a Director on the team.
Level: We are open to considering exceptional candidates at both the Director and Senior Director levels, depending on experience and fit.
How You'll Make An Impact
Lead organizational MLE strategy
- Own and drive Evidence Action's approach to evaluation for early stage programs, including leading the design, implementation, and refinement of Evidence Action's evidence and analysis approach for early-stage programs, ensuring rigorous, consistent application as we assess and select innovations; and partnering with program teams to evaluate existing evidence, stress-test hypotheses, assess credible pathways to impact at scale, and develop stage-appropriate evaluation plans. As programs transition to scale, ensure early stage MLE findings inform at-scale MLE, in coordination with the Director.
- Maintain a diagnostic engagement with at-scale program MLE by developing a clear-eyed view of complexities, trade-offs, and team dynamics across the portfolio. Use your vantage point to design better structures and strategies grounded in operational realities, and to drive program design improvements through the Director and team
- Lead the MLE Review process as a near-term organizational priority, including direct management of external consultants. The review will surface gaps in MLE practice and standards across the portfolio, which you will translate into lasting improvements through team leadership and strengthened function-wide quality assurance
- Identify and address cross-program MLE blind spots and systemic risks, translating complex challenges into clear diagnoses and actionable recommendations for senior leadership
- Develop and maintain centralized MLE systems for sharing, tracking, and applying evidence internally and externally, including at the regional level
- Lead the development of Evidence Action's learning agenda, identifying the highest-value learning questions across the program portfolio and ensuring findings inform program design and organizational decision-making
- Provide strategic MLE oversight for new program development and accelerator processes, ensuring MLE is embedded from the earliest stages and assess how best to resource and structure this work within the MLE Function
- Champion the strategic use of data, technology, and AI to strengthen MLE and organizational decision-making
- Serve as the primary senior point of contact for regional MLE leaders on function-wide coordination, ways of working, and structural challenges, working to strengthen the overall MLE function across global and regional teams.
Provide senior external and organizational leadership
- Serve as a senior thought leader and external champion for Evidence Action's MLE Function with donors, board members, government partners, and peer organizations
- Oversee the approach to external reviewers, vendors, and consultants across the MLE Function, critically evaluating their recommendations while maintaining strong, constructive relationships, and working in close coordination with the MLE leaders on external partnerships they are responsible for.
- Partner closely with Cost-Effectiveness and other internal evidence functions to ensure coherence across Evidence Action's evidence approach
- Lead board and donor level communications on MLE progress, methodology, and organizational learning
Lead and develop the Global MLE Function
- Provide direction and leadership to the MLE team, including direct management of a Director, who leads at-scale program MLE and team management
- Set strategic direction and priorities for the team and help foster a high-performing team culture
- Develop team members' capabilities and build a platform for ongoing professional growth
- Oversee the Global MLE budget, maintaining visibility across global and regional MLE teams and making resourcing recommendations aligned to organizational priorities.
- Collaborate with program and organizational leadership to plan resources, recruit for strategic bandwidth within the MLE team, and develop a sustainable resourcing model and long-term structural vision for the MLE Function
You may be a good fit if you have
- 10+ years of progressive experience in monitoring, learning, and evaluation in a global development context.
- Experience should also include direct program implementation and technical assistance to governments, with 5+ years, ideally in a senior leadership role within a matrixed organization. In field experience is highly desirable
- PhD or a comparable mix of advanced training and high-end technical experience in a relevant field (economics, statistics, public health, social science, or related)
- Technical experience: Expertise in program evaluation design and methodology; including impact evaluations, process evaluations, and mixed-methods approaches with real-world experience managing large-scale evaluations from design through dissemination
- People Leadership: Demonstrates a track record of developing Directors or senior leaders and strengthening leadership bench capacity. Successfully provided strategic direction to senior technical leads, set performance benchmarks, while empowering their domain ownership.
- Thought Leadership: Brings established networks across the MLE and leadership communities of peer and partner organizations, including philanthropies, evidence-driven implementation organizations in our regions, and government stakeholders. Has a track record of external thought leadership through publications, conference presentations, or similar platforms
- Action Oriented: Demonstrates a clear orientation toward implementation over theory. Experience within leading evidence-driven organizations, across global health, development, or social sectors, is prioritized, reflecting our commitment to teams that can move from evidence to action.
- Transformation and Ambiguity: Embraces ambiguity to make transformational changes we need. They are an Engine 2 thinker; focused on innovating for tomorrow's needs, exploring new markets, and taking bold risks while communicating trade offs
- Technical Communication: Can switch communication styles between external and internal MLE specialists, donors, board, and non-technical audiences to have effective conversions and drive decisions
Position Location
We prefer this role to be based in Nairobi, Kenya, Lagos, Nigeria, or New Delhi, India. However, this role location could be flexible.
Benefits
Pay and benefits for this role will be commensurate with the role specifications, local statutory requirements, and the cost of labor in the markets where we operate.
For the United States:
The expected role range for this US position is listed below. We consider multiple factors when determining the base salary for a role, including but not limited to: role scope, program budgets, internal equity, and a candidate's qualifications and/or prior experience.
The US based expected pay range for this role is $155,000 - $185,000 per year. For candidates outside the US, we adjust for the cost of employment and fixed local benefit costs to create an equivalent package. Salary will be based on the level of the role (Director or Senior Director), which will be determined on a candidate-by-candidate basis.
For US based roles, Evidence Action provides comprehensive benefits including international health care, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement plans with a matching component, generous and flexible leave options, as well as other employee perks on a reimbursement basis. For more information visit our careers page or ask our recruiting team!
Evidence Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to representation and inclusion. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply.
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